


Demoted

by Drowned_Ophelia



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drowned_Ophelia/pseuds/Drowned_Ophelia
Summary: Aether Paradise is undergoing radical changes of leadership after Lusamine's foray with the Ultra Beasts. As a Grunt involved with the debacle, and Faba's lover, you're a bit worried about your positions within the foundation.





	Demoted

You knew that Aether Paradise was about to be completely shaken up by the events that had occurred. To the public you’d all managed to maintain the façade of being a facility whose main aim was to protect and care for Pokémon and the environment while your shadier activities were covered up and hidden.

You were merely a Grunt. You didn’t act upon your own feelings at the time but rather to ensure you’d still have a job when you were told to try and stop the three children who’d entered the building. One of which you knew was the President’s very own son.

Despite being so low in rank you’d managed to attract the attention and infatuations of the Branch Chief, becoming his lover. You stood next to him in your attempts to cull the threat. Although you’d been beaten, you’d offered up an intense battle together that had at least slowed them down enough for Lusamine to finish her plans and earned you Faba’s praise.

The details were still spotty of what exactly happened after, but Lusamine was in dire need of help that no one in Alola could provide. Even you could tell it was bad from just the few moments you saw her practically needing to be carried to her room. With her out of power the much purer and better intentioned Gladion took her place with Wicke at the helm to help him along.

All employees involved were questioned and disciplined depending on their actions. You were honest, expressing that you were following orders, and confided in Wicke the internal conflict you had between wanting to make sure you’d have a job, not disappointing Faba, and dealing with your own conscience. Your distraught confession nearly brought you to tears as you emphasized how working here meant the world to you.

Wicke’s response had been to get up from her desk so she could give you a hug, shocking you when she apologized for what you’d gone through. You were not the first to give a story like that.

The relief you felt was like a weight off your shoulders. Absolutely nothing was going to happen to you, but now you could move on to what was now your main concern.

“Faba isn’t a bad person either!” you were quick to defend, realizing it may have sounded like you were throwing him under the bus earlier. “He’d never disobey the President and-”

“There’s a lot to consider with Faba,” Wicke interrupted kindly. “I know how close the two of you are, but we still have rules about employee confidentiality. I‘m sure he‘ll speak with you once we‘re finished.”

“I understand.” You couldn’t argue with that, plus she was right. You and Faba had already discussed meeting in your room later.

It didn’t matter that you were off the hook. Now you were on the verge of a panic attack and you found it hard to even walk as you made your way back to your room. You were shaking, all sorts of thoughts running through your mind of how Faba would be punished.

Nearly everyone in the building hated Faba. He jeered at Gladion, who was now in charge, when he’d returned. He did several unethical things when trying to further Lusamine’s Ultra Beast goals… These were all possible nails in his coffin that might negate all the positive things he’d done.

You took a look at your clock. Faba said around this time he was scheduled for his “talk” with Wicke. He respected and shockingly never once had a bad thing to say about her. Faba sometimes had rude slipups, but he should at least be OK for this… You hoped.

As the time passed you kept the TV on as you sat on your bed but didn’t focus on anything. You were too stuck in your own head, worrying about Faba’s fate. Time seemed to crawl until at last you heard a familiar knocking at your door.

You leaped off the bed, reaching the door and opening it in an instant to see Faba waiting on the other side. He looked slightly paler than usual, his expression distraught, and he couldn’t look you in the eye.

“O-oh no…” You could feel the tears you‘d been keeping at bay all this time stinging your eyes. It was bad news. It had to be. You moved aside so Faba could enter, he obviously not wanting to discuss anything until you were behind closed doors. “Faba…?”

“Darling, I…” Faba held out his palms, you placing your hands on them. He held them with a gentle squeeze. “I was…”

No… No… What you dreaded was coming up next. He was going to say ‘fired’. What else could it be? He’d be forced to leave Aether and you had no idea where he’d go. Would he find work in Alola? Could you still at least see him during your time off? Or would he have to leave for somewhere else to find work like this again? Were the two of you about to be torn apart? You felt sick, knowing you’d faint the moment you heard it.

It was with anguish and shame Faba got the word out. “…Demoted.”

“W-what?” That was a possibility you hadn’t even thought of. “Then that means…”

“I’ll have to start over.” Faba let out a weary sigh.

Tears ran down your cheeks. You knew how Faba must feel; his title meant everything to him. He always boasted about it and made sure everyone referred to him as “Branch Chief” or else face a small scolding. Still, this was something he could recover from. It wasn’t a termination.

“Oh, I know…” Faba let go of your hands so he could embrace you instead, soothingly stroking your hair. “It’s dreadful. My change in status must be difficult to swallow, but I assure you that I’ll work my way back up again. I’ll beg you on my hands and knees if I have to; please don’t leave me over-”

“You…!” That’s what he thought you were crying about?! You couldn’t help shoving him away from you. “I’m relieved! I thought you were fired!” You angrily wiped tears away from your face. “I would have wanted to be with you from the start even if you were just a Grunt like me!”

“Oh…!” Faba held a hand up to his mouth in surprise. It seemed he had made plenty of incorrect assumptions as well. “I am sorry! I hadn’t…” He approached you again, this time you pressing yourself against him and crying into his jacket. He held you tightly, slightly rocking you back and forth. “I’m still here. Things won’t change much. Really, it’s more for show to prove to the other employees I’m facing consequences. My work will remain the same, although my salary…” His voice was thick with resentment.

“What matters is that we’re together, right?”

“Of course,” Faba answered fondly. “It would be unbearable otherwise. You have a way of getting into my head the way no one else ever has.”

You smiled against him, trying not to laugh. You still remember when he confessed the small fire that happened was because you’d quite literally wound up igniting his passions and he couldn’t properly focus on his project that day.

Now that your fates had been decided, it was time you did something to cheer Faba up. His pride had to have taken the worst blow of all and your fellow Grunts were going to get such a kick out of his demotion once it got around.

“Since you’re here…” You stood on your tiptoes so you could whisper into his ear. “Why don’t we make the most of it… Future Branch Chief?”

You took a step back and saw that you’d managed to make Faba smile. Regardless if they ever returned to him his rightful title you knew you’d remain madly in love with this man.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I... was actually kind of naughty and typed this up at work. It was supposed to be a short little one-shot for Tumblr, but then I thought it got slightly too long for that, so it's getting posted here. I'm addicted to Faba fluff right now.


End file.
